


Just Like Heaven

by Biggreenfeet



Category: Heaven Official's Blessing, tian guan ci fu, 天官赐福 - 墨香铜臭 | Tiān Guān Cì Fú - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Idols, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Former Idol Xie Lian, Hualian, Idols, M/M, Maybe - Freeform, Modern AU, Music, Romance, i dont know what else rn, m/m - Freeform, probably gonna be a long one because i dont know when to say no
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:01:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27693119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Biggreenfeet/pseuds/Biggreenfeet
Summary: Xie Lian has risen to stardom twice, both ascensions ending... not well. Having sworn off the music business and now in his thirties, he's settled into a quiet life minding a record store and running open mic nights at the local bar. But he's starting to realize that it's not quite what he wants...When a random video of his impromptu performance goes viral and thrusts him back into the spotlight, he's going to have to make a choice.But what *does* he want?A man dressed in red might just hold the answers.
Relationships: Hualian - Relationship, San Lang/ Xie Lian, hua cheng/ xie lian
Comments: 30
Kudos: 59





	1. Scrap God

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first jump into the fantastic worlds of MXTX! I recently finished reading Heaven Official's Blessing and fell in love with Xie Lian and Hua Cheng. This is my attempt to migrate them into a modern day AU setting. Wish me luck!

With one eye cracked and a hand reaching over the side of the bed in bleary half-sleep, Xie Lian reached for the screeching device at the end of the charging cord. He blinked through shafts of sunlight and made a mental note: though his hand had found the phone, it was no longer making noise. It practically smacked him in the face as he raised it overhead and stared wide-eyed at the red blinking battery icon flashing across the cracked screen. 

“Crap.” He had enough luck that the thing went off, but not enough for the frayed charging cord to last another day. “Crap crap crap.” He sighed and pushed his lanky form off of bleach-spotted sheets. It was chilly outside the layers of piled blankets, and the floor was frigid in spite of heavy socks. He hugged his arms before stretching and loosing a yawn. Signs of life were already hustling and bustling outside and frost decorated the windows. 

There came a loud wail from below as a white cat tried to bowtie between Xie Lian’s legs. 

“Ruoye,” he mumbled, half asleep. He stumbled around the aging kitchenette until he found the box of cat food. This produced fresh screams from the hungry beast as it pawed at his pajama bottoms. “Good morning Ruoye,” he scritched the cat’s back end and watched it rise comically into the air, bits of kibble crunching and falling to the floor from the opposite end.

The kettle whooshed and bubbled while he dropped a tea bag into a chipped mug. Thankfully, there had been just enough bread to make a slice of toast- he’d made sure to ration at the beginning of the week. Even with a bit of butter it was dry, but that’s what the tea was for. Steam bloomed from the top of the hot liquid and Xie Lian watched the small whirlpool spin and disperse along the inner edges of the ceramic. Minutes ticked by as he stood, transfixed. His mind wandered nowhere in particular.

With a sudden start, he came back to earth and washed the rest of the toast down quickly. He shimmied out of pajamas and into the day’s outfit. The key when it was cold like this was to wear the next day’s under-layers to bed so there’d be something warm against his bare skin before adding the rest of the chilly layers. It didn’t stop the goosebumps that rose and swept across his arms and legs, but it was better than it could have been. When you couldn’t afford to run the heat for very long, you had to get creative. And Xie Lian was nothing if not creative. 

He breathed a small sigh and shoved his daily necessities into the worn backpack in front of him. His hand hovered over the busted phone cord before yanking it out of the brick and throwing the wadded mess into the bag. Maybe it would work later?

\----------------------------

The air was crisp and pained his lungs a bit despite the chunky scarf knotted around his face and neck ( a gift from the nice lady down the street whose groceries he’d carry from time to time). His long hair was knotted into a messy bun at the top of his head and hidden under a beanie eclipsed by a worn grey hoodie. It was the kind of clothing that you bought one day, and suddenly you’d owned it for years. He wore a khaki-colored peacoat with many blocks of color clumsily stitched in high-wear areas. One of the buttons didn’t quite match the rest, but it gave the coat some character. Brown leather gloves hugged each finger. They were well loved, but in good shape. Best of all, they kept his hands from going numb so quickly. His jeans were a lighter wash, and old enough to have finally come back into style. Old enough to have still been made with some quality. He wore brown pull on work style boots with another pair of heavily darned wool socks to keep his toes from falling off.

His eyes gleamed in the warm yellow glow creeping up the block. Winter was Xie Lian’s least favorite season, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t find the world lovely in spite of the freezing cold.

It was just harder to ignore the loneliness that seemed to permeate the city.

\------------------------------------

The first shift of the day was the record shop. He would be opening and closing the store before making his way to the _Ascension Gates_ \- a hole-in-the-wall bar that had open mic nights just about every night. Xie Lian mostly handled cleaning up after people and organizing the performers. After some incidents involving some particularly volatile drinks that possibly caught on fire once, he was emphatically instructed that under no circumstances should he serve anyone _anything_. Ever. 

The bronze and silver shop keyes jingled heavily against metal while he released the lock on the steel shutters. They screeched and disappeared above the storefront windows, allowing access to the door. He flipped the hastily scrawled cardboard _Sorry We’re Closed_ sign to _Open_ and walked in. A wave of musty air smacked him in the face, but he didn’t mind it. The shop was old. So old in fact, that the name had worn off the signage out front. Nobody really knew the store’s proper name, but they knew exactly the place you were talking about if you just said _the old record store_.

He set his backpack down under the counter and disappeared into the back to grab the meager cash drawer and sales ledger. Random customers would often remark on the archaic nature of hand written receipts. Some would cuss him out after spending a good amount of time making their selections, only to find that credit cards were not accepted. But Xie Lian would just smile awkwardly and apologize, a long and graceful fingertip tapping the _CASH ONLY_ sign. These encounters usually ended with him having to shelve a pile of unpurchased records, unkind words still ringing in his ears. 

Still, customers weren’t always bad. Every once in a great while a customer might drop by who enjoyed talking about music. Sometimes he even got to make recommendations! It made the time pass more quickly, but the conversation would always come to a conclusion once the sale was made. 

Today however, none of those interactions were happening because there were no customers _to_ interact with. The store was dead. Dust motes filtered through the streams of sunlight leaking into the windows. Xie Lian took turns picking individual motes and following them with his eyes until they disappeared into the shadows. This went on for an unknown stretch of time until a growling in his belly roused him from the trance.

\------------------------------------

Xie Lian jogged across the street towards the familiar _Baozi_ cart. Sometimes the seller would save buns that were too old to sell for him at the very end of the day, rather than tossing them. Xie Lian didn’t mind paying for the normal ones at lunch time though. He could get one for a buck, and that suited him just fine. He smiled at the familiar peddler.

“Good afternoon!” He waved. “Do you have any pork buns left?” He squeezed his eyes closed and mentally crossed his fingers. Pork buns were his favorite.

“Sorry my friend, I sold my very last bun to that gentleman rounding the corner up there.” He pointed accordingly with an apologetic smile.

The sun was in Xie Lian’s eyes, and he found himself shielding them with one hand and squinting ahead at the reddish blur of a man’s jacket. “Oh.” His stomach growled and he made an awkward _heh heh_ at the vendor. “Well I’m glad your business is doing so well.” The smile was genuine as he gave the man a small bow. “Perhaps next time.”

The bun seller nodded his head and started to pack up.

A frown had overtaken his features. He pulled out his phone to check the time, forgetting that it was dead. 

_Darn it!_

He may not have known the exact time, but he knew well enough that there wouldn’t be time to get something else. Resigned to a hungry fate, he returned to the record shop empty-handed. 

_How unlucky!_

\-------------------------------------

The rest of his day at the record store was uneventful, and he found himself locking up and rolling the heavy blast door closed. He gave it one last just-in-case tug before heading out.

With the sun going down, the air had become chillier. Little streams of cold seemed to crawl up his fingertips towards his toes and he shivered under his many layers. He needed to eat, and wanted something warm. There were a few convenience stores on his way to _the Gates_ . He chose the one that most people might describe as the _shadiest_ , but to him they were just the cheapest. So what if you had to check the labels to make sure the ramen wasn’t three years out of date? It was just a little extra work for a better deal. And the carpet of dust on the top just needed a little wiping off! Xie Lian really couldn’t wrap his mind around how picky people could be. 

He was still shaking his head as he stuffed the pork-flavored noodles into the shared breakroom microwave and took a breath. Whether it was the cold, the lack of lunch, or just the general vibes of being down Xie Lian was feeling tired to his very bones. 

“Hope I’m not getting sick with the change in the weather,” he said to no one in particular. 

The beeping of the microwave drew him back to the present, and he sank onto a folding chair, slowly slurping his meager dinner.

All the scrimping and saving would be worth it. He was _almost_ there.

\-----------------------------------------

Thankfully, between the ramen and the lively (and somewhat packed) house Xie Lian regained some stamina. It was always like that. There was an indescribable energy surrounding a stage, whether the venue held 10 or 10,000. He glanced over the list, mentally checking off the regulars. There were a few new acts, but he could tell by the crowd that most were there for the usual. 

He took a moment to check in with each of the performers, taking their emotional temperatures. Some were cool as cucumbers, others were already sweating bullets. Xie Lian flashed them reassuring smiles, touching some of their arms gently. 

“It’s ok to be nervous.” His voice was soft, but resolute. “I am here to support you however I can. You can choose to back out, but I hope you’ll stay.” Another dazzling, but down to earth smile. 

A few of the regulars rolled their eyes, but they didn’t mean anything by it. They just couldn’t understand Xie Lian and his neverending optimism. He seemed to get genuinely excited about watching everyone perform- even if they were terrible. And there had been some _terrible_ acts. The man could stand and listen to customers berate him for any number of reasons, while smiling and apologizing calmly. The only thing he wouldn’t tolerate was heckling the performers or fights. 

“Alright Ban Yue, you’re up. Did you prepare something new this week?” He beamed down at the small woman who was dressed top to bottom in black. 

She stared at him through heavy charcoal eye makeup, giving the smallest of nods. She dragged a sparkly violet guitar behind her. The instrument was almost as big as she was, and Xie Lian crept after her in the event of a fall. She paused for a moment, throwing a death glare over her shoulder at him. 

He threw his hands up sheepishly. “Alright, alright. You’ve got this.” She climbed onto the singly lit stool and spent an uncomfortable minute or so adjusting the microphone and plugging in the guitar. Xie Lian turned the house lights down, letting the spotlight hug the girl’s tiny form. She sat for another full minute just staring out into the audience. Just as the crowd took a combined breath, about to ask one another _when is she going to start?_ , Ban Yue screeched and strummed an angry chord. The entire establishment was silent as if blown back into their chairs when she strummed the electric strings again. This time she began to play a somber melody, voice ringing clearly, like the beautiful peal of a bell. When she finished, the audience was absolutely star struck and slack jawed. They could only watch her give a polite and silent bow, dragging the instrument behind her once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy the Scrap God as much as I do <3
> 
> Comments give me sustenance.


	2. Scrap God Fills In

Xie Lian clapped furiously against his clipboard and announced the next performer. “Always great to have Ban Yue with us, right folks?” A few similarly dressed characters with heavy eye makeup nodded silently with no visible emotion. 

A man leaning against the wall close to the doorway smiled, sliding his hands into the pockets of his crimson suit pants. His hair was tied into a loose ponytail, slightly crooked. He watched the performers, or specifically their floor manager scuttle around, rounding them up like cats.

The rest of the performances went pretty well. As well as they could, anyway. There was some spoken word poetry, a few comedians, someone doing a really strange workshopping of a one-person show, and a few nominally-talented musicians. There were still a handful of customers hanging on in the audience, though the crowd had thinned a good deal.

A yawn escaped Xie Lian and he brought the back of his hand to his mouth. There was one more performer on the list, and she was new. Her appearance could be described as  _ homely _ , but her eyes were bright and nervous. Xie Lian had spoken reassuring words to her several times throughout the night. He knew that look, but he also believed that she would be better for performing.

“Ladies and gentlemen please welcome Xiao Ying to the stage.” He smiled brightly, and ushered her towards the stool up front. “She’s going to sing for us.”

The girl looked absolutely petrified in the seat. The guitar pick pinched between thumb and middle finger was practically vibrating, and she struggled to find her voice. She shrank away at the sound of the mic feedback, swallowing hard. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead. Xie Lian smiled warmly and silently urged her to continue.He surveyed the crowd in his peripheral vision, feeling slightly concerned about their restless shifting in their seats. At this point, people had been drinking for a while. It had a way of loosening their lips that he didn’t much care for. The hair on the back of his neck prickled like someone was watching him, but he turned his attention back to Xiao Ying as she cleared her throat and strummed.

The first few notes were pretty awkward and she winced. As Xiao Ying drew in a breath to sing, there was a loud, echoing  _ TWANG _ as one of the guitar strings snapped. She froze, still as a lake in the winter. A few audience members actually tried to stifle their laughter while another few...didn’t. 

Xiao Ying’s pupils shrank. She looked like she might cry, flee, or explode at any moment. The laughter picked up, growing into a loud and cruel cacophony. The man in red watched silently with the slightest of smirks on his face.

Xie Lian snapped into action, dragging a ruggedly worn guitar case out from under the bar and throwing the instrument strap over his messy bun. Thankfully he was familiar with Xiao Ying’s song choice- an old love standard. He loudly strummed the introductory chord while walking towards her on stage. The crowd immediately hushed, all eyes jumping between the scrappy looking floor manager and the frozen girl. 

He repeated the beginning of the song again and leaned over her shoulder to press his mouth close to the microphone. For just a second he made eye contact and winked.  _ You can do it! _ His eyes seemed to cheer. Xie Lian started softly, letting the words roll off of his tongue like honeyed nectar. He had managed to capture the audience’s attention with the smoothness of his tenor as he sang the sweet words of the traditional love song. Xiao Ying had been taken aback at first, but had gathered her courage at the strong trill of his voice and the warmth the words brought to her heart. 

Together they took a breath and began to sing the next set of lyrics together. His voice expertly dipped and changed, bringing their voices together in a lovely harmony. Anyone listening to them sing would find themselves in a romantic mood! Some of the audience members were leaning into their partners, swaying in time, pecking little kisses on cheeks and foreheads, or looking a little sad next to an empty chair. 

All of the anxiety and embarrassment left the girl’s face, replaced with an easy confidence. Her eyes glistened in the light as the two crooned in time. Her voice was strong and clear. She was not formally trained, but she had a truly lovely voice full of kindness and caring. She twisted in the seat, watching Xie Lian’s face mouth the words along with her. His smile was contagious: she beamed right along with him.

The man in the red suit smiled genuinely. His gaze lingered on Xie Lian through the end of the performance. 

The stage couple finished softly, the last few notes vibrating into the crowd. Everyone was silent for a moment, waiting until the last soundwaves had swirled and dissipated into the ether. Xiao Ying’s eyes went wide at the sudden thunderclap of applause, meeting Xie Lian’s with elated confusion.  _ What just happened? _ They seemed to say. And though she did not know the answer, she was happy that whatever it was happened. 

Xie Lian blushed and scratched the back of his head feeling like he’d created an unnecessary spectacle. Xiao Ying bowed to the audience and gathered her guitar, walking offstage and feeling dizzy. 

“A-and that’s it for open mic night tonight everyone. We, uh, we hope you had a great time!” He walked offstage, waving away any questions or comments with what he hoped came off as modesty. He was suddenly struck with a strange feeling of being watched again. He knew a few of the people from the crowd might still be watching him, but it seemed to be a stronger gaze than that. Xie Lian’s eyes scoured the smiling, drunken faces of the audience members. It didn’t seem to be coming from any of them. As his eyes came to the exit, he could swear there was a blur of something red ducking out. 

Without warning a small voice was at his side. “Thank you, Uncle.” Xiao Ying bowed low.

“Oh! N-no need for all that. I just wanted to help out,” he replied nervously. “Did you, uh, have fun? After everything, uh,” He trailed off, smiling sheepishly. 

Her plain face was lit up with her most genuine smile. “Oh yes, Uncle. It was very fun!” Her voice dropped to a whisper, “I don’t know if I would do it again, but I feel a lot more confident.” The two of them giggled together, all smiles. 

The thought of someone watching him had already melted away, and he turned his attention to cashing out with the bartender.

“Ke Mo,” He paused timidly, “Is there a, uh, a reason why the money is  _ wet _ ?” 

The bartender stared down at him with a grunt while wiping out a glass with a dingy towel. 

“You know what? Nevermind. It’s fine.”  _ All money spends the same, wet or no. _ He shuddered inwardly and turned to leave with his backpack slung over one shoulder and the guitar case at his side.

\-------------------------------

Xie Lian lay in bed with his hands behind his head. Ruoye purred from on top of his chest, his soft white face just clearing the heap of blankets.

“Ruoye, I had fun tonight.” He smiled softly and let his eyes drift to the cracked ceiling. The cat just purred in response. Xiao Ying’s soft yet bright voice echoed in his mind as he mentally replayed their duet. He could feel the strings gripped by calluses. The steady, rhythmic vibrations of each note.

He hummed the last few bars of the love song as he drifted off. It left him with a little empty feeling and he frowned ever so slightly as sleep finally took him.


	3. Scrap God Breaks the Internet

The shop bell tinkled harshly as it banged against the glass. The noise hardly registered as Xie Lian stared at the cracked and dimly lit screen in front of him. The dulcet tones of a sweet duet played in mono from the phone’s only working speaker and no amount of cracks or poor audio quality could make him believe that the voice he was hearing wasn’t his. His eyes moved to the view count below the clickbait title ( _ Crown Prince of Melodic Misfortune Comes Out of Hiding! _ ). They grew wide as saucers and his pupils shrank at the number.

_ One million _ views. The crappy little cellphone video of him and Xiao Ying crooning on a dingy stage (complete with camera shake) had one million views. And the number kept rising in real time!

He knew the link from his cousin wouldn’t be anything good. He just hadn’t imagined  _ this _ . Qi Rong only texted when he wanted to remind Xie Lian of his epic fall from grace. Every time he got one of these nastygrams he would sigh, but still click and respond. Even leaving the man on read seemed enough to keep the insults coming. But a part of him just couldn’t bring his finger to  _ swipe left to delete contact _ . Qi Rong was truly awful, but he was also the only living family Xie Lian had left. 

A hand waved between Xie Lian’s nose and the phone. He blinked, finally registering the man’s handsome face.

“Hey, sorry about that- just wanted to make sure you still had a pulse.” The corners of his mouth curved into a bemused smirk. 

Xie Lian smoothed his hair and snapped back into customer service mode. “I’m so sorry, how rude of me. Let me put this away.” His fingers were clumsy and the cell phone slipped from his shaky grasp.The two of them bent for the phone at once, knocking heads. 

“Gah! Sorry again, good customer!” The poor cashier winced and rubbed at the sore spot just above his forehead. “Are you ok?” He jumped to his feet to help the other man stand with a gentle tug on his arm. 

The customer snapped up and yanked his arm away quickly, with a face flushing to match his red jacket. “I’m good!” His hands were up defensively and he tried to take a step back.

Xie Lian continued to inflame the situation, panicking and drawing the side of the man’s head towards him. “Let me check for a bump!” He couldn’t afford to pay the man’s medical bills if he’d done any lasting damage. “I might have some ice in the back.” His hands roamed over the man’s head like an unskilled phrenologist.

“I’m fine!” the man-in-red’s voice was loud enough to clear the air, but free of anger. He gently grasped Xie Lian’s hands and removed them from his head. “My head is fine- it was just a little bump.” As if to prove it, he gently rapped the top of his noggin. “See? No harm done.”

“En.” The shade of red on Xie Lian’s face had caught up to the good customer’s and his jacket as his brain crawled back into his skull. He slid his delicate fingers from the man’s grasp and nervously pulled a swath of bangs behind his ear.

“Here. This is yours.” He thrust the phone towards Xie Lian. Most traces of discomfort faded as the man schooled his face into another dapper grin. 

Xie Lian accepted it with another “En,” the only response he could manage underneath the shame and embarrassment at his actions. He bowed and squeezed his eyes shut. He might’ve had a thick face, but this? This was too much for even Xie Lian, the fallen “Crown Prince”of pop.

“ _ Gege _ ?” the man addressed him informally. 

“En.” Xie Lian’s face was still parallel to the aged counter as he continued to nod in embarrassment.

A pair of bright, mischievous eyes peered at him from below the counter. The man had squatted down to get Xie Lian’s attention! The frazzled store clerk slowly turned his gaze to the other man as he repeated himself.

“ _ Gege _ , what’s the matter?” He smiled playfully, seeming fully recovered from the pair’s blundering encounter. “You don’t have to be shy.” There was an almost sing-song quality to his voice. His embarrassment had quickly transformed into amusement. “I really am fine.”

Xie Lian’s stomach was the one to break the standstill. It let loose a long gurgle and his face reddened all the way to the tops of his pale ears. 

The young man beside him sprung up with a grin. “Although, it might be easier to forgive  _ Gege _ if he buys me lunch.”

“You!” Xie Lian sat up at the provocation, but his irritation drained at the customer’s bemused expression. “Yes,” he took another small bow, “I suppose that’s fair.” He paused for a moment. “Does good customer like  _ baozi _ ?” Xie Lian’s skinny wallet really hoped he did. 

“Good customer likes  _ baozi  _ very much,  _ Gege _ .” There was a playful glint in his eye.

Xie Lian could feel his ears heating up again. “If my good customer doesn’t mind, what should I call you?”

“Ah,  _ this _ good customer? Hua Cheng, but you can call me  _ San Lang _ .” His eyes crinkled under long lashes. “And how should I call  _ Gege _ ?”

“San Lang.” The words slid gingerly off his tongue. “Xie Lian is my name.” The warmth of his smile seemed to brighten the shop’s drab interior.

“Can good customer San Lang still call you  _ Gege _ ?” he asked teasingly.

Xie Lian took a better look at the man’s face. Most of his inky-black hair was swept back into a crooked ponytail, leaving half of his face uncovered. The right side remained hidden under messy bangs that had fallen forward. His skin was fair like alabaster and he had dark eyes framed by long lashes. Xie Lian blushed when he came to the man’s softly tinted lips that curved like flower petals. 

Though San Lang was taller, he certainly  _ looked _ younger. He wore a wool varsity-style jacket with white leather sleeves. The back was patterned with swirls of small white flowers, some of them tinted with red and complemented by an occasional silver butterfly. The stitching was neat and very detailed- the jacket must’ve been pricey. He wore slim black jeans with a pair of thick leather engineer boots over the cuffs. The outfit was extremely on trend, though the man wore it effortlessly. He was the type that probably looked good in anything. An elegant, living clothes hanger. 

“En. If that’s what San Lang prefers.” He gave a slight bow before moving to stand up. The two stood awkwardly close for a moment before San Lang slid out of the way to let the other man gather his scarf and coat.

Xie Lian waited until they were both outside to shrug on his coat while San Lang slid a pair of chrome-lensed aviators on. He locked the door and slid the heavy keyring back into a pocket. “I usually go to that cart for lunch.” He pointed and gave the vendor a small wave from across the street. The vendor returned the greeting and ushered them over. 

“I didn’t know I’d been feeding a celebrity!” The older man waved his phone as they approached. Xie Lian instantly recognized the song and chuckled nervously. His cheeks darkened. 

“What can I getcha today? Got some pork buns left.”

Xie Lian reached for his wallet. The corners of his mouth dipped slightly at the pitiful amount inside.  _ Oh well _ , he thought.  _ At least I’m making up for that embarrassing display. _ He shook his head before handing the bills to the vendor.

“Pick whatever you want San Lang.” Xie Lian smiled brightly. Genuinely. He may not have had much, but he really was happy to share a meal with another human. 

San Lang eyed the vendor’s meager selection before pointing to a pork bun. “I’ll take one of those.”

“San Lang has good taste,” Xie Lian’s smile was enchanting.His cheeks grew rosy as the cold air kissed at his cheeks. San Lang watched him take a bite, feeling suddenly shy. 

“Are you ok to walk while we eat?” He asked cheerfully. A few long strands of hair had come undone from the disheveled bun on his head and stuck to his lips. 

It was San Lang’s turn to struggle with words while pulling his eyes from his lunch partner’s mouth. “En.” He took a bite of  _ baozi _ while gathering hit wits about him. 

The walk was fairly quiet while they ate. San Lang would steal little glances at Xie Lian while they meandered their way to an undetermined location. His face and eyes were bright as they met San Lang’s from time to time. By the time the two had finished, they had come to a small, snow-covered park. 

Though he knew they should probably head back to the shop, Xie Lian gestured to a set of swings a small ways ahead of them. “Wanna sit and digest a bit?” 

The corners of San Lang’s mouth twitched. “En.” 

A bit of warmth spread through Xie Lian’s chest. “En.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoyed writing this chapter because I really really love these two bumbling dumb dumbs.
> 
> Feel free to hit me up on tumblr. I post a lot of random shit there at this point.
> 
> biggreenfeet (DOT) tumblr (DOT) com
> 
> 💚


	4. The Complications of Breaking the Internet

The two of them had sat on the swings until their fingers and toes were numb, chatting about the record store, the weather, nothing particularly earth shattering. San Lang had asked questions, but mostly listened to him talk as he squeezed the chains in his black-gloved fists.

He cleared his throat lightly. “ _ Gege _ , do you need to be back soon?”

Xie Lian blurted, “Oh no!” after checking his phone. “Sorry!” He bowed with an apologetic smile and pink cheeks. “I have to run!” Panicking, he literally broke into a run with one last cheerful wave over his shoulder.

San Lang waved half-heartedly and pouted to himself with a frown, “I was going to suggest we go back together…” But he figured he’d might as well leave things there. No reason to get Xie Lian into trouble. Part of him felt kind of guilty. The rest of him felt like he was soaring. 

“I can’t believe I finally found you.” 

\-----------------------------------------

San Lang was still on his mind as Xie Lian locked up the store for the night. There had actually been someone hovering around the door when he returned from lunch and Xie Lian had gotten an earful. There had been a lot of bowing and apologizing. In the end he had offered the customer a discount for his trouble and the man left somewhat satisfied.

_ I wonder if San Lang will come back to the shop? _ He winced at all of the embarrassing things he’d done and facepalmed. Literally running away from the man was perhaps the most birdbrained thing he’d done. He really hoped the handsome man hadn’t taken it the wrong way.  _ Wait, handsome _ ?

He was still deeply ruminating on their time together and took no notice of the larger than usual crowd outside the bar. 

“Is that him?” Someone hissed in a low whisper.

“I don’t know. Kind looks like ‘im.” Came another voice.

The throng of people clamoured together and pressed towards him with curious expressions and cell phones at the ready. There was a rolling wave of harried whispers and speculation. But the man just wouldn’t look up, instead staring down at his shoddy old cell phone. A few people broke off from the crowd and stood in the doorway as he approached. 

“Oh? Excuse me please.” He flashed a dazzling and instantly recognizable smile at the smaller clique while trying to get past them. Strangely, they didn’t move out of his way at his request and he finally looked up. His pupils shrank. Everything was suddenly moving in slow motion. Xie Lian felt the heat of anxiety grip his insides, watching the familiar cycle of expressions cross the closest woman’s face.

Recognition:  _ It’s him! _

Confirmation:  _ I can’t believe it! It’s really him! _

Production of sound:  _ I’m going to scream, cry, cheer, or screech like a velociraptor right in his face!  _

Recognition part two: _ His identity would now be confirmed to the entire crowd. _

Loss of personal space:  _ The crowd rushes forward snapping pictures, taking video, shouting requests, asking for autographs. _

Further loss of personal space:  _ Groping. _

Xie Lian was horrified and tongue tied. A sea of gossip-hungry faces swarmed him and formed a human barricade. He had nowhere to go!

It started innocently enough.

“So it really is true! You work here?” “You were here in the video!” “Were you the one to post the video?” “Can I take a picture with you?” “Where have you been?” “Why do you work at a place like this?” “Do you miss your old fans?”

Xie Lian looked at the sea of faces and tried to smile. “Please everyone, just let me through. I don’t really have time for pictures, sorry. I need to get to work.” He smiled meekly and tried to politely navigate to the door as the human barricade seemed to converge on him. 

With the former pop star unable (or unwilling) to meet their expectations, things began to turn ugly.

“You can’t spare  _ five minutes _ for your fans?” “What, you think you’re too good to talk to us?” “You’re just a has been!” “Yeah, he’s not special!” “I heard he was  _ paying _ people to stand out here!” “Did you think that video was really going to make you popular again?” “I think it’s really sad that he’s resorting to gathering fake fans!” They were beginning to feel more like a gang than a group of fans.

An angry voice sounded from the swarm. “Hey! He just touched me! Don’t think you can do that just because you were famous once! I’m livestreaming this whole thing, man!” 

“N-no! I didn’t touch anyone. I wouldn’t- I- I’m not even close enough  _ to _ touch you!” Xie Lian immediately hugged his arms close to his body, dropping his cell phone in the process. He could feel people tugging all over him: backpack, jacket, jeans, arms, legs. Someone even grabbed the beanie right off of his head! Others were stepping on his shoes as they continued to mob him. 

He let out a garbled cry as someone strong hooked their arm around his shoulder and he was abruptly yanked to one side. There was a low voice in his ear. “I’m here to help. Hang onto me and I’ll get you out of here.” The man paused for just a second before adding, “Trust me.”

Everything was happening too fast for poor Xie Lian. His head was spinning and he seemed to be nodding at someone.  _ Trust me _ . For some reason he  _ did  _ trust the voice in his ear. Xie Lian could feel the man’s fingers biting into his shoulder as he dragged him through the crowd with a great deal of strength. As the two of them stumbled out of the angry circle the voice was in his ear again. 

“ _ Run! _ ” 

A hand clasped his own and Xie Lian ran with everything he had. 

The echoes of angry voices finally began to quiet as Xie Lian slowed and ran out of steam. His breath came in ragged gasps and he leaned forward with his face in his hands. The fight-or-flight still flooding his system with adrenaline made his knees shake. Everything sounded like he was underwater. The words coming from the man beside him rolled unintelligibly through one ear and out another. Darkness bled into the corners of his vision.

He was falling.

\--------------------------------------------------

Xie Lian dreamed of the past. 

_ He was teeter-tottering on a brightly lit stage and using the microphone stand to help him stay upright. Something wasn’t right.The music started playing behind him and he leaned into the mic and opened his mouth to sing, only it wasn’t words that came out. It was vomit. A lot of it. _

_ Spittle stretched from his lip towards the floor until he interrupted it with a hand. His mouth tasted awful and he spat on the stage before picking his head up and staring bleary-eyed into the crowd. Everything seemed to blur together. The colorful lights were too bright and hurt his eyes. His head pounded. Panic made the nausea worse and he doubled over again to empty what little was left in his stomach.  _

_ The crowd had already been impatient with the band. Now they were turning on them. A wave of “Boos” and other choice words crashed over the stage. The two handsome performers sharing the stage with Xie Lian continued to dance and left their frontman to his own devices. He couldn’t really blame them for it. Everything came to an abrupt halt when the sound man pulled the plug. He felt relieved. _

_ Xie Lian stood alone at the apex of the stage lit by a single flood lamp as his groupmates slowly withdrew. His features were haggard. His clothing was drenched in sweat. They were hissing his name from the wings but Xie Lian could no longer make sense of what they were saying. He had the feeling of being suspended in time. A dim-witted, dopey grin stretched across his face as he rested his head against the woven metal windscreen of the microphone.  _

_ The building pressure within the audience exploded as someone chucked a glass bottle onto the stage. It found just the right angle, bouncing once and smashing right into his forehead with a solid and hollow CLUNK. The last thing he remembered was the sound of a small voice in the audience shouting angrily at the people around them.  _

_ “You leave him alone! Stop it!”  _

_ Then everything went black. _

\--------------------------------------------------

A pleasant smell greeted his nose and the familiar weight of Ruoye vibrated on his chest. The cat had one loud motor, that was for sure! Xie Lian smoothed his hand over the white fur and yawned. He wasn’t sure whether the gentle pats soothed him or Ruoye more. His stomach let out an audible grumble.

“ _ Gege _ ? Are you awake?” The man’s voice was soft but still carried across the room. “I made tea if you want some.”

Ruoye stood and stretched, hopping off of his chest as Xie Lian pushed himself up and hurriedly tossed the covers to the side. 

  
“ _ San Lang _ ?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fans can be really toxic sometimes. Good thing our boy got himself a good man by his side 🦋🦋🦋


	5. Ruoye Likes Him

**Chapter 5: Ruoye Likes Him**

Ruoye padded over to his papa’s savior and wove aggressively between the man’s legs, motor roaring like a locomotive. San Lang turned from the stove and leaned over to scritch his chin while making kissy noises. The cat smooshed himself against the stranger’s hands, feet, legs- anything that was within reach of his whiskered cheeks. Xie Lian sat speechless under the warm mountain of blankets and forgot that he had even called out to his guest-turned-caretaker. 

_Ruoye?_ Was he seeing this properly? Was his cat currently and very aggressively cuddling with _another human being_ ? Something warm filled his chest at the sight of San Lang being so affectionate with his very particular pet. And- _did he just_ ?! He _did_ ! Xie Lian watched the cat give their guest a _very_ slow blink, looking satiated with the man’s doting.

“I think _Gege_ ’s kitty likes me.” San Lang’s smile was dazzling even in the low lighting. 

Xie Lian nodded dumbly. “En.”

His cat’s new best friend straightened, raising his arms to the sky and arching a crick from his back. The black hem of his t-shirt floated above the waistband of his jeans stopping just shy of his belly button. San Lang flashed Xie Lian an amused half-smile as their eyes met. It was as if he’d been caught doing something wicked. Xie Lian’s face grew hot and he buried it in his hands.

“Tea?” San Lang’s voice was practically in his ear as he proffered the chipped mug. “ _Gege_? Are you feeling shy now?” There was a hint of teasing in his voice. 

Xie Lian wanted to crawl back under the covers and never come out again, but managed to shake his head and accept the mug. “En. Thank you for the tea. But San Lang-”

Both of them were interrupted by a phone ringing. It was San Lang’s, and he put up a slender finger to quiet his host.

“Did you do what I asked?” San Lang’s teeth straddled his thumbnail as he listened to the person on the other line. “Oh? Interesting...” His steps were graceful as he began to pace. 

Ruoye, having been scorned for his master and then a cell phone, hopped back up on the bed and settled into Xie Lian’s lap with heavy lids and a soft purr. Both of them eavesdropped on the conversation but they didn’t have much of a choice: the room was tiny. And nobody was going to ask San Lang to go outside in the cold. Certainly not.

“Keep a close eye. I don’t think things’re gonna stay quiet.” He looked pointedly at Xie Lian. “Safety is our number one priority.”

Xie Lian’s cheeks flushed as he brought the mug to his lips. He got the distinct impression that his houseguest was talking about him. Still, it was only the tea that warmed his chest. Wasn’t it?

“ _Gege_.” San Lang wore a pout. “Something’s come up, so I’ve got to duck out.” 

“Oh.” Xie Lian nodded and took another sip of tea while trying to figure out why it made his heart drop under the bed. “San Lang you’ve done more than enough-” he paused. _How much more_? He didn’t even know what happened! San Lang must’ve been the source of the strong tug from the crowd. Then they ran. A lot. And then… “How did I get back here?”

“Ah, that.” Something secretive played behind his dark eyes. “I carried you.” He chuckled as Xie Lian’s mouth twisted into a surprised _O_. “Well, I carried you to a cab at the very least, and then upstairs.”

“How did you know where to go?” Rather than being accusatory, his tone was simply curious. “Oh no my phone!” his head dropped into his palm and he breathed a beleaguered sigh. “I needed that phone,” he pined quietly.

There was a sudden weight to the right of him. “That one?” San Lang chuckled and ran a hand through his ponytail looking smug. “ _Gege_ is very lucky to have this good customer around.” His cheeks darkened at the giant smile spreading across Xie Lian’s face. 

“You found my phone!” His features lit up the room like an errant ray of sunshine. San Lang cleared his throat.

“I saved my number in your contacts. Xie Lian can call or text me anytime.” He was bent over and pulling on the black engineer boots. His back was turned to Xie Lian as he pulled on the baseball jacket. It gave the Xie Lian a good look at the beautiful swirling designs. Something about the flowers and butterflies seemed familiar, but he just couldn’t place it. 

“San Lang!” without warning Xie Lian sprung from the bed and leaned just past his the other man’s face. His hands found the cushy white scarf hanging on the coat rack next to the front door. San Lang turned into Xie Lian’s arms as his host carefully looped the downy length around his neck. “It’s cold outside. Please wear this and stay warm.” His smile was disarming.

San Lang found himself tongue tied and red as a tomato but managed to nod in agreement. “En.”

“I don’t want to keep you any longer. I’ve taken up enough of San Lang’s time today,” he said, embarrassed. “Please be safe on your way home,” He fidgeted with his fingers before mumbling, “And could you please let me know that you made it safely? If it’s not too much trouble. I don’t want to bother y-”

San Lang pressed a finger to the other man’s lips gently. “Xie Lian,” He made uncomfortably severe eye contact, “You are _not_ a bother. And yes, I will let you know that I’ve made it home safely.” He paused with his hand on the doorknob. “There’s congee on the stove. You should eat something.”

With that, he turned quickly and waltzed out the door leaving Xie Lian frozen in place. He raised his hand slowly to his lips feeling butterflies erupt in his stomach. 

\------------------------------------

Some time later there was a chime from Xie Lian’s bedside table.

[PHONE CONVERSATION]

(San Lang has saved himself in Xie Lian’s phone as “Geges Fav”)

SL: made it home

SL: did you like my contact name? :P

XL:I am glad you made it home safe San Lang

XL: And yes your contact name is very silly

SL: did you eat the congee?

XL: Yes. It was very good. Thank you (Cat smile emoji) 

SL: good

SL: its late tho and i have to work tomorrow :’(

XL: Oh! I hope I didn’t keep you up too late D:

SL: nah gege can text me whenever he wants

SL: I just have an early meeting tmr >:(

XL: Sorry :’( :’( :’(

XL: Please get some rest

SL: when ru done w work?

XL: Um.. I think 8?

SL: k ill call u tmr gege :D

[END PHONE CONVERSATION]

Xie Lian laughed quietly and swept his thumb over the blank screen. “He texts like a teenager.” Ruoye seemed to meow in agreement as he kneaded biscuits into the stack of blankets. He pressed the phone to his heart and laid back in bed. 

Reason started to come back to him as he mentally catalogued the day. They met for the very first time this morning. Had lunch together. Took a walk to the park and sat and talked on the swings. _Wasn’t it kind of like a_ \- no. No, he wouldn’t finish _that_ sentence. Then of course he’d run off like a crazy person to finish his shift at the record store and then… Xie Lian huffed a deep sigh. 

_Everything had been going so well for such a long time_!

The numbers on his phone were a glaring reminder that he needed to sleep. It was late and he had at least _one_ job he could still go to tomorrow. Xie Lian sighed and clicked the screen off. No matter what happened, things would calm down eventually. Washed up celebrities never stuck around in headlines, especially those with lives as simple (and boring) as his. The thought made him feel both better and worse at once.

\-------------------------------

A high pitched trill sounded from under his hand. Half asleep or not, his heart leapt in his chest. _San Lang?_ A silent prayer as he ground the sleep from his eyes with his palm. The name on the caller ID made his eyes go wide. It was _not_ San Lang.

The ringer sounded once, twice, thrice. He slid right with a shaky thumb, his voice echoing the vibrations.

“Xie Lian?” The voice on the other line was smooth and deep like sweet brandy.

Xie Lian breathed in and out a few times before swallowing, “Ju Wun?” Shame welled up from deep inside his chest. It made it hard to breathe. 

“Are you ok? I heard about what happened at the club last night.” The man spoke slowly, gently. He wanted to give Xie Lian the space to talk- if it was what he wanted.

“En. I’m ok.” His fingers twisted a loose strand of hair at his temple. “I got lucky and a...friend saved me? I guess?” He could picture the warm smile at the edges of his former contract holder’s face. “How are you sir? It’s pretty early.”

“No need to be so formal, son. But I’m good. I do apologize for being an early bird though.” He cleared his throat. “I just wanted to...check in.”

“Well, I really appreciate that Jun Wu, but I’m fine. Things’ll clear up soon enough once everybody realizes how boring this has-been’s day to day is.” He chuckled at the self-deprecation.

Jun Wu’s voice was kind, but firm. “Xie Lian what are we going to do with you? You have so much talent-” He paused to clear his throat. “But I didn’t call you to talk about your talent. I just wanted to make sure you were safe.”

“Thank you sir- I mean, thank you Jun Wu.”

“Xie Lian.” There was a melodic quality to his voice, like a grandfather telling stories to his grandchildren.

“Yes?”

“My offer still stands. No pressure- I just want you to know that you can come back if you decide to do so.”

Xie Lian was hesitant. “En. I appreciate it. I just don’t think…”

“It's alright, you don’t owe me an explanation. Just know there’s a standing offer here if you change your mind.” There was kindness, but also an unspoken pressure. 

“Thank you.” He couldn’t really think of anything else to say. “I’m afraid I’ll have to let you go for now, I really need to get ready for work.”

“Ah, don’t let this old man keep you.” there was a warm rumble on his end.

“Again, thank you. Goodbye Sir- er, Jun Wu.”

“Take care, Xie Lian.”

With his mind still reeling from the unexpected phone call and a pit of anxiety growing in his middle, Xie Lian opened the browser on his phone, took a breath, typed in his name, squeezed his eyes shut, and tapped _go_.

It was surreal to be online and checking social media. He’d absolutely sworn off any kind of self-stalking behavior. Closed his accounts. Deleted as much of his past self from the internet as he possibly could. These days he had absolutely no online presence at all.

He squinted one eye open then the other. Both widened at the screen and distinctive _lack_ of new content. There was the official Wikipedia and Wiki page, an IMDB entry, some fan sites, and a plethora of old headlines ( _The Crown Prince of Pop Leaves the Music Industry!_ _The Crown Prince Dethroned! Crown Prince Abdicates!)_ It’s only clicking through the first two pages of results that he sees new content posted on some random forums. 

His thumb brushes the link and he scrolls through, reading the fairly tame descriptions of yesterday’s event. There are only words, no pictures, and definitely no videos. 

“How’s that possible?” he muses aloud. Ruoye answers with a soft chirp beside him and smooshes his face into Xie Lian’s arm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CATS are my favorite. I hope you also like cats. Cats are wonderful. My cats are named after car parts.
> 
> Jack / Muffler / Bumper
> 
> Some day we will get a big orange cat and name him Axel.
> 
> Anyways that's my tangent. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Comments/kudos (and snacks) are always appreciated <3


	6. You Can't Choose Family

The next time Xie Lian’s phone rang was during his lunch break at the record store. It was the  _ Gates _ and it was not great news: Xie Lian was essentially suspended until the rowdy onlookers cleared out. They were happy for the business the “scandal”  _ did _ bring in, but most of the people were just loitering and waiting for any sign of the ex-idol. 

He nodded at Ke Mo’s words (which came directly from their boss). “I understand. And again, I’m really sorry about all of this Ke Mo. Can you tell the owner- Oh. Ok then. Bye.” The corners of his mouth turned down in frustration. He felt bad for making more work for the poor bartender. Ke Mo was not very fond of him already (after the flaming drink fiascoes) and this was making things at least ten times worse. The additional lightness in his wallet without those nightly earnings was also going to sting. There were always savings, but… 

He frowned again. 

The rest of the work day he spent doing a whole lot of nothing. Well, nothing  _ productive _ . Thankfully the crowds of fans and anti-fans seemed not to know anything about his day job which left Xie Lian plenty of time to check celebrity gossip- at least once per hour. The only hits continued to be vague, small-time forum posts. It didn’t make sense, and it wasn’t because he wasn’t humble- it was the reality of living with fame: you just didn’t see a crowd turn on someone like that and hear nothing about it the next day. He was just waiting for the other shoe to drop like it always did.

Darkness had already descended on the shop as he rolled the security grate back down. The loss of sunlight had made the weather unbearably cold again and his breath came out in fluffy white puffs. A shiver crawled up and back down his spine as a chilly wind vortexed into the small alcove. His cheeks were already wind-bitten and pink. 

Tonight looked like it would be one of the rare times he let the heat run continuously.

He took to humming to take his mind off of the bitter cold and deep seated anxiety of his current situation. Soft and delicate flakes of snow drifted from the sky. By the time he was close to home, little piles were starting to form on the undisturbed surfaces around him. The whole world was slowly turning fluffy white. 

Xie Lian was feeling lighter at the fresh air and sights of the evening... until he saw the strange figures at the front of his building staring upwards. Fear turned the chill inward. It left him breathless and clutching at the front of his jacket.  _ Why was this happening? Why?! _ Objects in his periphery started to blur and the streetlights burned trails into his vision.  _ What do I do? _ His breaths were shallow. Painful.

The phone was like a sudden scream coming from his pocket. He fumbled it like a slippery stick of butter but managed not to drop it. It took three attempted swipes to accept the call.

“San Lang,” Xie Lian’s voice was a pained whisper. “San Lang there’s people at my house.”

“Are you already inside?” San Lang’s voice was steady. 

“No. No, I’m outside. They’re just outside the building.”

“I want you to stay right where you are. I’m close by.” The man might have felt flustered, but none of it carried into his voice. “Do you want me to stay on the phone with you?”

The line was silent for a moment. San Lang assumed the fabric rustling sound coming from the other end was Xie Lian nodding. He was right. 

“ _ Gege _ I’ll be there soon. Stay with me, ok?” he asked with tenderness.

Xie Lian replied with a so-silent-it-was-almost-nonexistent “En” before the line went dead.

\---------------------

A growl curled deep in Hua Cheng’s throat and he forcefully shifted into fourth, then fifth gear. The car purred angrily as he zipped through the streets aggressively. He had little patience for others in general; less so at the present moment. A few of the cars honked in protest, but it was of little consequence: He was already several cars ahead of them on the road. 

The phone was ringing and he tapped the earpiece hard enough to make himself grimace. “ _ Gege? _ ”

“No, it’s me sir.”

Hua Cheng rolled his eyes while simultaneously breathing a sigh. “Go ahead, Yin Yu.”

“I figured out who leaked the information. It should’ve been obvious given the relationship, but-”Yin Yu didn’t need to finish. Hua Cheng knew exactly who he was talking about. 

“ _ Qi Rong.” _ He spat the man's name like it was dirty water. “Thank you Yin Yu. Please continue to keep an eye on things.”

“Yes sir.” There was no need for anything further and he hung up.

It had taken him no time at all to reach Xie Lian’s street. He slammed on the breaks, squealing the tires while managing to park within an inch of the curb. The door swung open and he shrugged his coat on while adjusting something on his face. 

Hua Cheng was an absolute vision. A completely  _ different  _ vision from the San Lang of yesterday. It was as if he’d grown taller. He hadn’t, but his posture was different. Forceful and a little threatening. The fashion forward casual clothes had been traded for fashion forward business wear. Where  _ San Lang _ had worn lived-in jeans,  _ Hua Cheng _ wore deep maroon slacks with light contrasting pinstripes. He’d traded engineer boots for a dapper pair of wingtips, dual toned brown and burgundy. His shirt was crisp and white with a mandarin collar and a hidden button placket. The only visible adornment was the silver butterfly-shaped button on his collar. His suit jacket was a slim silhouette that matched the pants, topped with a camel colored wool coat that just clipped his knees. His hair was pulled neatly into a ponytail while some of his bangs hung forward in a handsomely unkempt way.

Hua Cheng’s face was schooled into a cool I-dare-you smirk as he slid his hands into the coat pockets and slinked around the freshly waxed exterior of the car. He felt slight discomfort in his stomach when there turned out to be no people around. A small panic crept up his spine. 

“San Lang?” Xie Lian materialized from a shadow and moved towards him with careful steps. He was flanked by two men (one on each side) who stuck close to him but not in a concerning way.

“Who the hell is that?” The man on his left squinted his direction.

The man on his right seemed suddenly shaken. “Xie Lian, do you know who he is?” 

Xie Lian chuckled. “That’s  _ San Lang _ . The person I just told you about.” He stood to greet his friend.

“Holy shit is that-” The man on the left finally got a good enough look to know  _ exactly _ who he was looking at.

“Hua Cheng.” He confirmed, pulling a hand from his coat pocket and extending it cooly. As he stepped into better lighting, Xie Lian noticed the patch over his right eye.  _ Had he been wearing that before? _ No. He definitely would have noticed. 

When neither of the men stepped forward to shake his hand, he returned it to his pocket.

“ _ Hua Cheng _ ?” The man on his left turned to Xie Lian with a look of panic on his face. “You’re hanging out with  _ Hua freakin’ Cheng? _ ” Both of the men at Xie Lian’s side seemed to stop behind him at once. 

“And you,” Hua Cheng turned his attention to lefty, “Must be Mu Qing. While you,” he turned to the opposite man, “Are Feng Xin.” He tapped his lip ponderously. “But why are the former members of  _ Xianle _ here?”

“Don-don’t say our names out loud in  _ public _ !” Mu Qing screeched before sliding the black mask back over his lower face.  _ There are eyes everywhere _ ! His facial expression seemed to scream.

“How do you guys know Hua Cheng?” Xie Lian looked absolutely, stupidly clueless, grinning like a fool. His eyes sparkled in the dim glow of the streetlamp.

His two friends exchanged a look behind him before glaring at the subject of discussion in tandem. 

Hua Cheng looked amused. “We’re certainly not old friends  _ Gege _ . I’d wager we’ve never even met before today.” His good eye caught the light, shining dangerously. 

Feng Xin looked ready to spit. “He’s that gossip mongering calamity from  _ Crimson Rain _ .” 

The whites of Mu Qing’s eyeballs were on full display as he noted Xie Lian’s puzzled look. “Its a shitty rag magazine. Well known for ruining peoples’  _ entire _ careers!”

“Hm.” Xie Lian looked mildly interested in digesting this information, but certainly wasn’t troubled by it.

Feng Xin had a hand at his temple. “Aiyah, Xie Lian! Don’t you remember what happened with the  _ Thirty Three _ ?”

Xie Lian’s features scrunched as he tried to remember. The  _ Thirty Three _ was another group that had debuted around the same time. They had shared several gigs and a stage show or two. Xie Lian wouldn’t have considered them close, but they seemed nice enough. “I think it happened after-” His voice softened. 

Mu Qing completed the fact. “According to  _ this _ guy, they tried to pin a bunch of shady shit on you after-,” he stumbled, “After everything happened.”

Hua Cheng looked pleased. “I simply reported the facts. The rest took care of itself.” He grinned mockingly. “Why are you here?” He glanced between the two men, both now wearing black cotton masks. 

“Why are  _ you _ here, Hua Cheng?” Feng Xin glowered. “Xie Lian, are you sure  _ he’s _ not the source of the leak?” He finally stepped in front of his former group leader protectively.

Mu Qing snorted. “Timing’s pretty convenient if you ask me.” 

Hua Cheng only smiled. “I came because  _ gege _ was in trouble. Believe what you want.”

Both Feng Xin and Mu Qing’s collective jaws dropped as Xie Lian pressed past them to stand in front of Hua Cheng. He held the man’s gaze as he spoke. “I don’t think San Lang is responsible for that crowd.” 

Sang Lang’s smile warmed. “ _ Gege _ would be right. But I do know who  _ is _ .”

The tense atmosphere dispersed with the ring of Xie Lian’s cellphone. “Gosh I’m awfully popular today.” He put the phone to his ear. 

“Qi Rong?”

“Cousin.” There was an ugly cackle. “You should check your text messages right about…” 

There was chime and Xie Lian pulled the phone from his ear to check. His eyes grew wide and glassy as he stared at the social media post. San Lang took a step forward and hovered behind him. 

“That’s my-”

More ugly laughter from Qi Rong. “Your  _ address _ !” The man had to pause to catch his breath. “I figured  _ Cousin _ would be happy to make some new friends after living like a broke ass hermit for so long!” 

“Why would you-,” Xie Lian’s voice hitched. 

“Well, when I didn’t get to see the reactions from your impromptu fan meet, I figured somebody must’ve covered things up… And that made me so sad for Cousin. But if they know where Dearest Cousin lives, he’ll have a steady stream of fans all the time!” Qi Rong lowered his voice to a whisper. “Good luck with your move, Cousin.”

Xie Lian shook with rage. “Qi Rong!”

A strong hand pulled the device away from Xie Lian and rubbed his arm soothingly. Hua Cheng had the phone to his ear.

“Qi Rong.” His smile was all fangs. 

“Who is this? Did my dearest cousin make a big scary friend?” He crowed, very pleased with himself.

“That all depends on how you feel about Hua Cheng.” 

Qi Rong was dead quiet for a moment. “How do I even know this is Hua Cheng? Like he’d give a flying fuck about my failure of a cousin! Ha ha ha!” But he sounded unsure.

Sang Lang flipped the phone over and pulled Xie Lian to him by the waist. His voice was warm in the other man’s ear. “Smile,  _ gege _ .” Even with the dim lighting, Hua Cheng managed to snap a decent picture of the two of them. His voice was barely a whisper. “ _ Gege _ looks very handsome.” He texted the image immediately, hearing Qi Rong’s phone chime.

“Aren’t we  _ handsome _ ?”

Qi Rong’s answer was a nasty roar of curses punctuated by abruptly disconnecting from the call.  Hua Cheng handed the phone back to Xie Lian. “Looks like you’re going to need a place to stay for a bit,  _ gege _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Qi Rong is an asshole, pass it on.
> 
> Thank you for reading, comments give me sustenance, follow me on tumblr if you like @biggreenfeet, and email me if you want a pizza roll.


	7. Adult Sleepover

Hua Cheng’s...house? Mansion? Castle? Was part of a sprawling estate surrounded by an intimidating brick and metal gate, the slats’ steel tips like rows of sharp teeth. Both of them were sitting in the fancy car and waiting patiently (Hua Cheng  _ impatiently _ drumming on the steering wheel) as the gates slowly groaned open. Ruoye watched with bright eyes out of the woven screen door of his cat carrier. He was very quiet on the ride over, much to Xie Lian’s relief. He purred and rubbed at San Lang’s finger, and the man smiled at the animal with half-moon eyes. 

Xie Lian felt a warm sensation in his chest while letting the gratitude wash over him. What would he have done without his new friend? Perhaps he might’ve actually contacted Mu Qing and Feng Xin? He smiled softly at the looks they’d had on their faces while helping him identify and pack the meager amount of important belongings in the tiny apartment. 

Mu Qing had rolled his eyes many more times than once, smacked himself in the forehead three different times (Hua Cheng winking at  _ him _ , Hua Cheng winking at  _ Xie Lian _ , and Xie Lian rushing back into the apartment for his keys). He had quipped at Feng Xin a few times for being (what he considered) too accepting of Hua Cheng’s role as temporary guardian of their little idiot friend.

Feng Xin had mostly snarked back at Mu Qing while keeping close to Xie Lian and quietly observing Hua Cheng’s movement and body language. He wasn’t crazy about the man either, he’d just chosen not to be as vocal. God forbid something bad  _ did _ happen, he didn’t want the sensitive and soft hearted Xie Lian to feel like he couldn’t reach out.  _ Y’know, like this time? _ He screamed telekinetically, and in vain, at Mu Qing. But Mu Qing was too busy glaring at the back of Hua Cheng’s expensive button up shirt. 

Xie Lian’s complexion may or may not have grown just a bit rosier watching him slide the deep red jacket from his shoulders.

“ _ Gege _ ,” San Lang’s nose brushed some of the hair that had slipped out of Xie Lian’s messy bun. “We’re here. You stay there and I’ll come around for Ruoye.”

The errant hairs fell back in place and tickled at his cheek making his ears go red. “En.”

Xie Lian turned his attention to the front of the complex, eyes up and tracing the intricately carved motifs that joined where the corners of the roof met. The roof curved gracefully, adorned with ceramic tiles of unknown color in the darkness. The entrance was double-doored and sprang open as San Lang laid a hand on the handle. Obviously not expecting another person, Xie Lian sprang backwards, earning a hiss from the frazzled creature in his arms. 

“Sorry Ruoye!” he gently pspspsp-ed at the crate door.

“Yin Yu,” San Lang nodded his head towards his nervous guest, “This is Xie Lian. He will be our guest for the foreseeable future.” There was a bit of mischief in his eye. 

“En.” Yin Yu gave Xie Lian a small bow before heading towards the car presumably to unload the trunk.

With a smile and an awkward wave Xie Lian greeted the much taller man. He had no clue if the man was a servant, a butler, or another strange guest. Maybe San Lang liked to collect people (he did)?

“ _ Gege _ this way. I’ll take you to your room.” He began ascending one side of the symmetrically curved staircase. It terminated at another pair of doors in the center, which lead to another series of hallways, and stairs, and-

Xie Lian was dizzy just thinking about how easy it would be to get lost in the expanse of the mansion. 

“I put your room across from mine in case you need anything. I guess Yin Yu could probably help you too, but he mostly keeps to himself in the guesthouse out back.”

“ _ Yin Yu… _ ” Xie Lian was speaking more to himself, “Sounds really familiar.” He turned to his host. “San Lang- why does Yin Yu sound familiar?” Maybe he was a really good butler and was in a magazine or something? His brain was foggy. And not just where it concerned Yin Yu.

There was a chuckle beside him. “He used to run a men’s lifestyle magazine. Highly thought of in the industry, until a slip of the tongue.” There was a small amount of amusement in his voice. “Turns out the young buck he hired as a successor managed to steal the show. Unfortunately for Yin Yu, he told the man to go die on live television instead of over the phone. The board sent him packing and raised his successor into the CEO position.”

Xie Lians mouth was a small  _ O  _ of surprise. “But how did he end up  _ here _ ?” The words popped out of his mouth. “I don’t mean any disrespect. It’s just- Is he your butler or...?” He finished quickly. 

San Lang began to laugh to the point that he had to stop walking and lean against a wall to steady himself. “Yin Yu is most definitely  _ not _ a butler. He is more… like an assistant.” He wiped a tear from his eye before turning serious. “You heard about the kind of work I do. I can’t really do all that alone, and I don’t hire people I don’t trust.” He turned his gaze to the floor, and Xie Lian got the impression that he was  _ nervous _ talking about his job.

“Mn. I can understand that.” He smiled gently and laid a hand on San Lang’s shoulder. “It’s hard to work with people you don’t trust.” There was an inexplicable emotion behind his words, but somehow San Lang knew it wasn’t a barb.

Xie Lian broke the silence with a yawn and San Lang pushed himself with very little effort away from the wall.

“Ah, here we are.” He threw open the overlarge door and stood aside to let his guest step over the threshold. 

“Oh my.” Xie Lian meandered towards the giant four-poster and set down Ruoye’s carrier. “San Lang this is-”

“Fantastic? I know.” He smiled like a cheshire. 

“I was going to say too much,” he replied in a small voice. “You don’t- you hardly know me and you’re letting me stay in your house.” Despite the words, Xie Lian was smiling softly. “ I don’t know if I will ever be able to repay you is all. I don’t have much to offer, San Lang.”

Part of San Lang broke at those words.  _ If you only knew, gege _ . Xie Lian’s eyes were despondent as they met his. “You don’t  _ owe _ me anything, Xie Lian. My door is always open,” he shifted his gaze anywhere but the eyes of the man in front of him. “To you and Ruoye here.” San Lang broke away to kneel at the edge of the bed next to the door of the crate.

“ _ Gege _ , can we take him out now? He looks like he’s tired of it,” he pouted a bit and gestured to the cage, changing the energy in the room. 

“En. Let’s just close the door first. Let him get used to the room,” his voice sounded lighter.

“Yes, we should let him get used to  _ his _ new room before we let him take over the rest of the house.” San Lang looked at him playfully as he pulled the door closed.

A white, fuzzy set of ears was already peeking cautiously out of the open carrier. Ruoye took one pussy footed step out, looked around and sniffed a bit, then out came the next paw. He loosed a prudent mew while looking between his master and his host. Then the rest of him poured like milk towards Xie Lian, who was sitting on the floor at the edge of the bed and surrounded by a peaceful aura. The two touched noses.

“Aw, you’re ok buddy.” Xie Lian smoothed over the cat’s back and scritched the base of his tail. 

Ruoye rubbed himself against his owner’s cheek and forehead before suddenly bounding to San Lang who had just lowered himself gingerly on the side of the bed. “Oh!” San Lang’s cheeks flushed with happiness as the cat bounded into his lap and onto his shoulders. Ruoye purred loudly in his ear before trying to groom his hair. He lapped at the deep brown, getting it tangled between his tongue like a ribbon. 

“ _ Gege _ ?” he was at a loss for words having never owned a cat (or any pets at all) in his life. “Does he think I’m  _ dirty _ ? He smirked at Xie Lian’s pink cheeks.

“N-no! He’s just. Just telling you he likes you.” His fingers fidgeted with a loose thread on the bedspread. “Besides,” he continued in an almost-whisper, “San Lang isn’t dirty.”

“Ah,” He placed Ruoye back onto the bed, “And how is  _ gege _ so sure?”

Xie Lian choked and covered his mouth as he coughed. “Can I,” another small cough, “get a little water?”

“En. Bathroom is just through there,” San Lang nodded at the frosted glass door across the room. “You have a full bathroom all to yourself.” He pauses, leaving his disappointment at the fact unsaid. He was suddenly overwarm in the room, and rose slowly from the bed. “It’s late  _ gege _ . San Lang has an early morning, so I should probably…” He trails off while shaking a thumb at the exit.

“Of course.” He bowed his head and smiled sweetly. “Thank you, San Lang. Really.”  _ It’s been a long time since someone has been so kind _ .

“Ah, it looks like Yin Yu dropped your bags off out here.” 

“Oh he didn’t have to-”

“Don’t worry that pretty little head about it,  _ gege _ . He’s fine, as long as you thank him.” San Lang chuckled. “Anyway, my doors are right across the hallway here. Please let me know if you need anything.”

“Oh, Ruoye and me are fine. I wouldn’t want to wake you. You’re already doing so much.” There was an uncomfortable smile situated on his face. Sheepish with a touch of shame. 

_ Oh _ . San Lang thought. “This is where I leave you then.” He paused for a moment, “Sleep well  _ gege _ . You’re...safe here.”

Xie Lian nodded. He didn’t break eye contact until the door clicked shut, and sat for a long time before getting up to move the bags in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, my cat really does try to groom people hair. Its really really funny when he gets a long piece because he gets very confused and just kind of munches(?) on it. I thought it would be cute in the story.


End file.
